The Pressure

The Canyonview East pool on the UCSD campus is back in operation eight weeks after a steam explosion in the main filter control room.

In late August, a heat exchanger failed, allowing pressurized steam to short out the electrical control panels and melt auxiliary PVC piping for the filtration system. Both East and West pools at Canyonview were knocked off line. No one was injured in the explosion.

The steam is used to heat the pool and is tied to the campus cogeneration plant, which generates 25 megawatts of electricity and enough steam for the campus.

The pools are used by UCSD men's and women's swim teams and masters swimming and triathlete programs year round. All workouts had been taking place at the on-campus Natatorium.

There is still no word as to when the West pool will be operational. Regularly scheduled workouts were expected to resume on Saturday, October 24, reported Ron Marcikic, UCSD swim coach.